Display stand with alarm system



Jan. 20, 1953 B. NEEDLMAN DISPLAY STAND WITH ALARM SYSTEM Filed NOV. 17, 1950 lll Patented Jan. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE My invention relates generally to merchandise display stands for articles such as bottles and tin containers, and more particularly to a display stand of the type wherein the signalling device is actuated each time an article or the like is removed.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a display stand in which a customer can remove only the frontrnost article displayed, whereupon a signalling device automatically is actuated.

Another important object of my invention is the provision of a display stand in which the signalling device is concealed from view and cannot be reached except upon removal of the frontmost article in the display stand.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a display stand which adequately displays and promotes article being sold, yet at the same time prevents unauthorized removal of the article. Y

Another object of my invention is the provision of a display stand which combines the features of automatically replacing the article removed with another article and at the same time notifying the store attendant thereof.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a signalling device of the kind described, which in addition to its other advantages, notifies the 'store attendant when the display stand is empty.

Yet another object is `the provision of a display stand with integral signalling means which is inexpensive to manufacture, dependable in use, and which effectively promotes and displays the mechandise.

Merchandise display stands which incorporate my invention comprise, in their broad aspect, a front wall, a pair of article supporting rails inclined downwardly toward said front wall, means for requiring removal of the article at the front portion only of the stand, a switch including a movable Contact arm which in the closed position extends upwardly above the supporting rails, said contact arms deflecting below the supporting rails into the open position under the weight of an article, the switch contact arm further being engageable by the frontmost article only on the supporting rails, and a signalling device con trolled by the opening and closing of the switch, whereby each time an article is removed (l) the switch is closed and the signalling device thereby actuated, (2) the next article on the rails slides downwardly therealong into View and (3) simultaneously engages and depresses the iiexible con- Cir tact arm to open the switch and deactivate the signalling device.

In order that my invention may be more fully disclosed, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one form of merchandise display stand embodying the foregoing and such other principles, advantages or capabilities as may be pointed out as this description proceeds, or as are inherent in the present invention. For purposes of clarity in exposition, the following description is explicit, and the accompanying drawing is detailed, but it is distinctly to be understood that said exposition is illustrative only, and that my invention is not restricted to the particular details recited in the specification or shown in the drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a merchandise display stand embodying my new invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the same, with portions of the front wall being broken away to dism close underlying construction details;

Figure 3 is a left side sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical components incorporated in the embodiment of Figures 1-3.

Like reference characters designate like parts in the drawing and in the description of my invention which follows hereafter.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 2 and 3 thereof, my display stand is shown as including two vertical end walls I0 and II, a rear wall I2, a front wall I3 and a partition wall I4 which separates the stand into two stalls I5 and I6. As best shown in Figure 3, a base plate II is provided in the stall I5, while another base plate I8 delineates the bottom of the stall I6. Positioned above the base plate I'I, and supported by the rear Wall I2 and the front wali I3, are two article supporting rails I9 and 28, which are inclined downwardly toward the front wall I3. Similarly, two inclined supporting rails 2l and 22 are positioned in the stall I6 between the rear wall I2 and the front wall i3. Articles to be displayed, such as for example the bottles 23 and 24 shown in dotted outline, are loaded on to the corresponding pairs of supporting rails i9 and 20, and 2| and 22. The inclination of the supporting rails I9-22 causes the bottles 23 and 24 to move downwardly therealong until they engage the front wall I3. The cut out portions 25 and 26 in the front wall I3 provide for greater exposure of the labels of the bottles 23 and 2 4, to facilitate identification of the contents thereof.

aeeaese My display stand further includes a bar member 21 (see Figure 1) which projects into the stall I and engages the shoulder portion of the bottles 23 to prevent removal of said bottles 23 except at the front of the stand, as in the manner shown in Figure 3. Similarly, the bar member 2 projects into the stall IE, and is further provided with a downwardly depending shoulder engaging member 21a, which prevents removal of bottles 24 from the stall I6 except at the front portion thereof. Advantageously, a board may be secured to the partition wall It at the back of the bar member 2l, both to provide advertising space and to prevent unauthorized removal of the contents of the display stand by reaching along the top of the stand behind the bar member 2l.

Referring again to Figures 2 and 3, a fixed contact member 29 extends from the front wall I3 and is positioned between and above the supporting rails I9 and 23. A similar xed contact member 32 projects from the front wall I3 above and between the supporting rails 2| and 22. In each case, the inclination of the front wall I3 to the rails ifs-22 enables the Contact members 2Q and 3i? to project a finite distance without contacting a bottle 23 or 24 which rests against the upper inner edge cf the front wall I3. A flexible contact arm 3l secured at one end thereof to the base plate II by the fastener 32, projects upwardly between the supporting rails I9 and 23 to engage the xed contact member 29. A second flexible contact arm 33 is xed to the base plate IS by the fastener 3i, and projects upwardly between the Supporting rails 2i and 22 to engage the xed contact member SIB. y

As is best shown in Figure 4, the contact members 29 and 3e and the contact arms 3l and 33 comprise two switches which are connected in parallel in the circuit Sii. A signalling device 3S, which can be a bell, a gong, a light, or other signalling device, is therefore controlled by the opening and closing the contact arms SI and 33. Energy for the circuit 35 is provided through the transformer S'I which is energized through the external circuit 38. For convenience in turning on the apparatus, a switch 39 is inserted in the external circuit 38 To use my novel display stand, the store attendant first loads the bottles or other articles into the two stalls I5 andI I, through the back openings in the stand. As the articles are thus loaded into the stand, they slide forward along the pairs of supporting rails I9 and 25], and ZI and 22, until they engage the front wall i3. Next, the attendant closes the switch 39, to provide a source of electrical energy for the signalling device 36.

Because of the positioning of the bar member 2 and the shoulder engaging member 27a, only the foremost article in each of the stalls I5 and I can be removed, as explained above. When this occurs, the flexible contact arm Si or S3 immediately Iiexes upwardly to engage its corresponding ixed contact member 29 or 3d. As a result, the circuit 35 is closed and the signalling device 36 energized, to notify the attendant of a sale. The actuation of an alarm whenever an article is removed from the stand also discourages and prevents pilfering of articles from the stand. As soon as an article is removed, the next article slides downwardly along the corresponding supporting rails IS and 2i) or 2l and 22 and in so doing depresses the corresponding contact arm 3| or 33 to open the. circuit 35 and deactivate the signalling device 36. This cycle is repeated 4 until the supply of articles in the stall I5 or I6 is exhausted, whereupon the signalling device 36 is operated until an additional supply of articles is placed in the stall or else the circuit 35 is deenergized by means of the switch 39.

Advantageously, my novel display stand incorporates several important safety features. Primary among these is the fact that the signalling device 36 is actuated regardless of the manner in which the bottle or other article is removed from the stall I5 or I6. Even if an article is removed very slowly, the alarm sounds immediately upon the contact arm 3i or 33 touching the corresponding fixed contact 29 or 3e. In addition, the primary actuating devices for energizing the signalling device 36, namely the two switches comprising the contact members 29 and 3D in the flexible contact arms 3l and 3,3, are completely hidden from view and are not accessible from the outside of the stand except following the removal of a bottle or other article therefrom. Yet in spite of these safety features, the articles are at all times attractively displayed, with sulficient portions of their labels visible for complete identication of the product.

Having thus fully disclosed my novel display stand with integral system, and demonstrated its utility by reference to a specific embodiment thereof, what I claim as my invention is:

l. A merchandise display stand for bottles or the like comprising: a base and two parallel upright side walls forming a stall, a front wall extending upwardly and inwardly to cover the lower front portion of said stall, a pair of bottle supporting rails in said stall positioned substantially parallel to said side walls and inclined downwardly toward said front wall, the included angle between said supporting rails and the upper portion of said front Wall being acute, means on at least one of said side walls preventing removal of said bottles or the like except at the ends of said stall, a switch including a fixed electrical contact extending from said front wall above and substantially intermediate said supporting rails and terminating short of a bottle or the like which rests against the upper, inner` edge of said front wall, said switch further including a spring finger fixed at one end thereof to said base and extending upwardly between said supporting rails to engage said iixed contact, said spring finger being depressed and held out of engagement with said fixed contact by a bottle or the like which rests against sa-id front wall, and an electrically operated signalling device controlled by said switch, whereby as the frontmost bottle or the like in said stall is removed therefrom, said switch closes to energize said signalling device, said having cut-away uppermost portions respecting each of said stalls for permitting partial exposure to display foremost ones of said merchan- :dise arti-cles and wherethrough said foremost articles may be manually grasped and removed from said stalls, a springable contactor mounted in each of said stalls having a portion extending above the level of its said rails, a fixed contact in each of said stalls for engagement by its said contactor and mounted on the framework within said obtuse angle so as to be physically inaccessible, said contactor being springably overpowered to remain out of electrical communication with its said contact by an article of merchandise in its said foremost position of said alignment, an electrically operative alarm signal device, and an electric power circuit completed by the engagement of any of said contactors with its related contact for actuating said alarm signal device during the interim of engagement by any of said contactors with its contact.

3. An interim alarm signaling device for displaying multiple classes of merchandise comprising a framework which includes space enclosing portions divided into a plurality of stalls, inclined support rails within each of said stalls sloping downwardly and forwardly so as to permit gravivtational descent of merchandise placed towards a foremost display position, a front panel to said framework sloping rearwardly so as to form an obtuse angle with said rails and having cutaway portions for permitting access to and for displaying said foremost position articles of merchandise, contact pairs mounted in each of said stalls springably held ajar by said foremost position articles of merchandise, an electrically operative alarm device, a circuit connecting the contact pairs of all of said stalls parallelly with said alarm device in series with a source of operating potential whereby said alarm device is actuated upon the removal of any of said foremost position articles of merchandise and until replaced by a succeeding article of merchandise gravitationally descending to said foremost position.

BARNEY NEEDLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,549,956 Bartlett Aug. 18, 1925 25 1,584,237 Manning May 11, 1926 1,765,223 Ferris June 17, 1930 2,474,157 Needlman June 21, 1949 

